FTF tells traveling parents how to get a workout in an unexpected place — the airport, at your hotel, or in the park.
[Editor’s Note: In 1990, a new baby changed Elizabeth Trindade’s career as a personal trainer and posture alignment teacher almost overnight. Desperate to regain a once impressive figure, dependent on her stroller to get around New York’s busy streets, and driven to improve life for all new moms, she developed an exercise program using the stroller as a resistance apparatus. Even on the road, Strollercize gives Mom or Dad and baby the chance to exercise together. With baby on board and stroller as baggage, Ms. Trindade’s suggests these exercises for the traveling parent.]
When: At the Airport, Waiting to Check In, Baggage Claim, Clearing Customs…
Stand facing your stroller, heels together at 90 degrees like Mary Poppins, try as hard as you can to press your thighs, knees and calves together. If you make sure there are no holes along the length of your leg, you’ll work your inside thigh and position your bones so you’re perfectly aligned. This is very difficult for most people, so try it at home in front of the mirror before departure. It takes about three weeks of doing this repeatedly before you’ll notice a difference, so if you see a long line ahead in your travels, get excited.
When: At an Amusement Park Watching an Older Sibling, At the Playground, On the Boardwalk…
The Kick Stand: Stand alongside your stroller and hold on with your right hand. Extend your left leg straight ahead, like an arrow. Touch your pointed toe on the ground, zip up those abdominals like a tight pair of jeans, lift your chest proudly and imagine having your baby’s tiny waistline. When you’re standing with perfect posture, leg straight but not locked, lift your leg up 4″ and hold it for 10 seconds. Then lift it 1″, lower it 1″, lift it 1″ and repeat, up and down, until your entire leg begins to shake! Change sides immediately and repeat the exercise. This strengthens your quads, lower abdominals, back muscles, and improves your balance. After all, motherhood is a one-legged thing.
When: On a Park Bench, Totally Exhausted After a Long Day of Sightseeing or Shopping…
The Tippy Toe: Sit on the edge of the bench with a sleepy baby facing you. Remember to stay perky like Scarlet O”Hara, and sit up tall. Round your lower back until each vertebrae can touch the back of the bench, look down at your tummy, and nail those abdominals as tight as you can. Float your arms forward, reaching toward your baby, and begin to point your feet into a tippy toes position. Hold for a beat, then sit up slowly. Repeat for a count of 50, then go back to your hotel and order room service!
As Ms. Trindade promises devoted disciples in her New York Strollercize fitness classes and popular video, “You get a full-body workout including cardio, toning, and stretching to prepare you for your new job…Motherhood!” For more information, visit www.strollercize.com or call 800/Y-STROLL.
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